WEBVTT THE BALTIMORE CITY STATE’S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE IS OUR FOCUS. WE HAVE ALREADY HEARD FROM IVAN BATES. NEXT, THROUGH SIGNAL IS JOINING US -- THIRU VIGNARAJAH IS JOINING US. YOU HAVE SPENT TIME AS A PROSECUTOR. WHAT DO YOU THINK FROM THAT JOB YOU CAN TAKE TO THE BIG CHAIR THAT WILL BE EFFECTIVE? MR. VIGNARAJAH: MY EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND AS A PROSECUTOR. I WAS A CITY PROSECUTOR AND LED MAJOR INVESTIGATIONS AND THEN THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MARYLAND. I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS SERVED HIS ENTIRE CAREER AS A PROSECUTOR IN LEADERSHIP ROLES AND I THINK I AM READY TO LEAD ONE OF THE LARGEST STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE IN THE COUNTRY. JASON: LET’S TALK ABOUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS, YOUNG PEOPLE. WE ARE SEEING THEM COME INTO THE SYSTEM. WE KNOW WHERE THE LAW SAYS WHERE THEY SHOULD GO BUT THE TROUBLE IS, ISN’T THE RIGHT PLACE TO START -- IS THE ADULT SYSTEM THE RIGHT PLACE TO START WITH VIOLENT CRIME? WHAT IS THE FIRST STOP ON THEIR JOURNEY, DO YOU THINK? MR. VIGNARAJAH: WE HAVE TO GET BETTER AT DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN YOUTH OFFENDERS THAT NEED SUPPORT AND SERVICES, AND VIOLENT REPEAT OFFENDERS AND WHO NEED TO BE TOP THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES. WE NEED PROSECUTORS DEDICATING THEIR LIVES TO SORTING OUT THAT QUESTION. WE HAVE TO GET BETTER AT IT AND TEACHERS OF THE TRADE -- AND TEACH.YOURSELF THE TRADE WE HAVE TO RESTORE ACCOUNTABILITY TO PROSECUTORS TO MAKE THOSE JUDGMENTS. RIGHT NOW, PROSECUTORS ARE THERE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN THEY ARE GONE. THEY DON’T REALLY CARE IF THEY ARE IN THE JUVENILE ORACLE SYSTEM. IF WEEK -- JUVENILE OR ADULT SYSTEM. IF WE DON’T NOT INVEST IN OUR SCHOOLS, WE WILL MEET THE KIDS IN OUR COURTROOMS. IF WE TAKEN TO THE FACT THAT THEY OFTEN ARE STRUGGLING AT HOME, THAT IS NOT OUR CHALLENGED, WE HAD TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE, EITHER IN THE JUVENILE SYSTEM WIT THAT MEANS DESPERATE REF OR IN THE ADULT SYSTEM -- SYSTEM THAT NEEDS DESPERATE REFORM OR THE ADULT SYSTEM. JASON: WHERE COULD YOU ACCOMPLISH TEHERE FOR SOMEONE WHO IS TEETERING? MR. VIGNARAJAH: ON ONE OF THE SOUTHWEST STEROLS IN THE SCHOOL, -- STAIRWELLS, IT SAYS IT I -- THOSE INVESTMENTS HAVE TO BE STRUCTURAL. IT CANNOT BE ONE EVENT HERE, I WENT TO CREATE EXECUTOR’S ASSIGNED TO SCHOOLS IN BALTIMORE SO THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES AND MAKE SURE PROSECUTORS ARE ATTENDING REC CENTERS. THERE ARE 600,000 PEOPLE IN BALTIMORE AND ONLY 40 >> CENTERS BUT THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH KIDS IN A PRODUCTIVE WAY BECAUSE ONCE YOU MEET THEM IN THE COURTROOM, WE ARE NOT THEIR FRIENDS, IT IS TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE. JASON: WE TALKED ABOUT THAT REVOLVING DOOR IN THE LAST RACE. WE RUN STORIES ALL THE TIME. WE RUN THAT LINE -- KNOWN TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. HOW DO YOU STOP IT? MR. VIGNARAJAH: WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE EFFECTIVE PROSECUTORS. WHEN I WAS A PROSECUTOR, WE DO NOT JUST DROP CASES. MY OPPONENTS DROP THEM ALL THE TIME. WHEN MR. BATES WAS THE PROSECUTOR, HE DROPPED 57%. THIS MOSBY DROPS 48% -- MISS MOSBY DROPS 40%. WHEN YOU INDICT SOMEONE, YOU DO NOT JUST DROP IT. THEY HAVE NOT TRIED A LOT OF CASES AND ARE LOSING A LOT OF CASES. THAT IS WHAT PROSECUTORS HAVE TO DO AND I HAVE TRIED A LOT IN MY YEARS. JASON: HOW DO YOU ENSURE THAT YU END UP HAVING YOURSELF SURROUNDED BY WINNERS BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE COURTROOM? MR. VIGNARAJAH:MR. VIGNARAJAH: THE LAST STATE’S, MR. BERNSTEIN BROUGHT IN WORLDWIDE TEAM LEADERSHIP. WE HAVE TO START DOING THAT AGAIN. JASON: WILL THAT BE A HARD SELL HERE? MR. VIGNARAJAH: I DON’T THINK SO. THE LEGENDARY DA OF NEW YORK CITY USED TO TELL PEOPLE, WORK FOR ME. YOU WOULD WORK 100 HOURS A WEEK, MAKE A DIME ON THE DOLLAR BUT LOVE EVERY MINUTE. YOU WILL GET MORE TRIAL EXPERIENCE IN FOUR YEARS HERE THAN THE REST OF YOUR CAREER, AND PEOPLE AT THE IDEA. THAT SHOULD BE IN EASY SELL, SHOULD GET THE BEST TRIAL LAWYER SOME LAW SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO COME TO BALTIMORE.NEW YORK CITY HAS NOT GOT THEM ANYMORE BUT BALTIMORE HAS . WE NEED TO USE THAT LIGHTNING ROD OF THE CRISIS OF CRIME TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN A GENERATION OF THE BEST TRIAL LAWYERS IN BALTIMORE. JASON: AND THREE OF YOU HAVE FOCUSED ON NUMBERS HEAVILY. I AM WONDERING ABOUT THE PRESSURE OF THE NUMBER A FEW JOB. HINGES ON LOWERING THE HOMICIDE NUMBER, YOU FEEL THE PRESSURE TO GET IT FROM WHATEVER NUMBER OF CLOSED CASES TO THE NEXT NUMBER DOWN, DOES THAT AFFECT THE EFFECTIVENESS IF YOU ARE PUSH TOWARDS THAT NUMBER? MR. VIGNARAJAH: HISTORY HAS TAUGHT US THE EXACT OPPOSITE. IF WE WANT TO BRING CRIME DOWN, THE BEST WAY TO DO IT IS MAKE SMARTER ARRESTS, NOT MORE. TO MAKE SMARTER CONVICTIONS, NOT MORE. MISS MOSBY SAYS SHE HAS A 92% CONVICTION RATE BUT IGNORES THE THOUSANDS OF CASES SHE DROPS. THAT IS INFLATED BECAUSE SHE GETS A BUNCH OF PLEA DEALS IN DISTRICT COURT. WE NEED TO MAKE ARRESTS, NOT FOR LOITERING WITH QUICK CONVICTIONS BUT ARREST FOR CARJACKINGS, ROBBERIES, RIVERS, SHOOTINGS, KILLINGS, AND GET CONVICTIONS THERE. PROSECUTORS WANT TO BUILD STRONG CASES AND BRING THEM TO JUSTICE AND THAT IS NOT DRIVEN BY NUMBERS. THE RESULT WILL HAPPEN NATURALLY. JASO DAY ONE IF YOU GET THE JOB, WHAT DOES YOUR MEMO SAY? MR. VIGNARAJAH: WE WILL CREATE THE MOST PRODUCTIVE, TRANSPARENT OFFICE IN AMERICAN HISTORY. NO MORE MINIMUMS. WE ARE ALSO GOING TO REORGANIZE THE OFFICE AROUND COMMUNITY PROSECUTION ON D

In Baltimore City, voters will pick the next state's attorney. Marilyn Mosby is running for re-election against Thiru Vignarajah and Ivan Bates.The same promise of equal time in this episode was offered to current Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby. She initially accepted the invitation, but just before the taping of this episode, her office said a scheduling conflict prevented her from appearing.Ivan Bates' interview can be seen on the 11 TV Hill page of WBALTV.com.

BALTIMORE —

In Baltimore City, voters will pick the next state's attorney. Marilyn Mosby is running for re-election against Thiru Vignarajah and Ivan Bates.

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The same promise of equal time in this episode was offered to current Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby. She initially accepted the invitation, but just before the taping of this episode, her office said a scheduling conflict prevented her from appearing.